Britain's Brilliant Regional Knitting Styles

We're only a small nation, a little island, but we are fortunate to have a plethora of different regional knitting styles. Here's our quick guide to regional knitting styles in Shetland, the Yorkshire Dales, the Aran Islands, the Channel Islands, and Fair Isle.

About Shetland knitting

Shetland sweaters, made from local wool, are not bulky like cable knits or thin like merino. They're wonderfully light and airy, knitted to keep them warm in without weighing you down. No wonder woollies are so popular here – the islands are home to 400,000 sheep, out-numbering humans twenty to one.

Knitting is more or less in local people's DNA, done for centuries to make money and make warm clothing to keep the harsh weather out. Locals once traded knitted hats and socks with passing fishermen. And every island had its own unique knitting traditions. Unst, for example, is still famed for delicate lace-work and Fair Isle for its rows of colourful, intricate patterns, so very popular that these days youngsters who live on the islands actually wear knitted Shetland hoodies!

About Yorkshire Dales knitting

Sheep have been domesticated in the Yorkshire Dales since the Bronze Age, as long ago as 200BC, which means Dales farmers have had a very long relationship with the animals. In 1590 a knitting school was set up in York to teach the children of the poor to knit, a good way to make a living. But York was wealthy and there was plenty to do there as far as work was concerned. As a result, it disappeared into the countryside and thrived there. Throughout the 17th century, knitting spread faster across the Dales. 'Carriers' from larger towns like Kirkby, Richmond and Kendal would collect the knitted stockings made by residents and deliver a new load of wool, a 'bump', for the next batch of socks.

Everyone in the household knitted – men, women and children. Stockings were the most important product but they also made bonnets, hats, gloves and vests from the thick, greasy local wool called 'bump'. Some gloves and stockings made from fine wool were produced too, and it was these that featured distinctive Dales patterns. You can see some pictures here.

About knitting on the Aran Islands

The Aran jumper takes its name from the Aran Islands off the west coast of Ireland. Traditional Aran jumpers are usually cream in colour and feature dramatic cable patterns on the body and sleeves. They were originally made from rough un-scoured wool full of natural lanolin, which meant the jumpers were water resistant. You could wear yours wet and stay lovely and warm, very important for fishermen.

Knitting on the Channel Islands

Originally made on the islands for passing fishermen, so-called gansey sweaters – also called jerseys or guernseys - are still knitted to this day. It's even possible that the word jersey comes from the island of the same name. Worsted spinning was once a staple industry on the islands, and it didn't take long for their wonderfully warm, close-fitting garments knitted in worsted-spun yarn become popular with sailors and fishermen. The Guernsey is another version, this time a very simple square-shaped wool sweater with a famous straight neck, which meant it could be reversed and worn either way.

Fair Isle knitting

Fair Isle knitting is a traditional technique for creating complex patterns with multiple colours, vivid and bright. It comes from Fair Isle, one of the Shetland islands, and was most popular of all with the locals until the Prince of Wales decided to wear them, which made them particularly popular during the 1920s. Original Fair Isle patterns have a small colour range of around five colours, using just two colours a row, but these days the term Fair Isle refers to any coloured knitting where the stitches are knitted alternately in various colours, with the unused colours stranded across the back. No wonder it's also sometimes called 'stranded colourwork'.

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